Patience is a must!

The resort is esthetically pleasing and clean. Staff is helpful but at a slow pace. Ocean and pools are lovely. Very disorganized on arrival and departures.We were to have a direct departure from the resort to the airport but we're informed they could only take 35 on the first bus and others would have to wait for a second bus. They had other stops to make. We paid $45 per person for extras which was totally not worth it. We also had issues with our suite. The air conditioner was broken . They d [... read more]id move us later that night however the next suite did not have a working television. That also got corrected the next day. We woke up to flooding of the whole fist level which was sewage water. Our representative did apologize and gave us a bottle of rum a a taxi ride on four of us to the city. They asked we sign a waiver and we did. They compensated us for our bad first two days. However, The first floor flooded 3 more days in a row. We literally had to enter our room by climbing over the exterior balcony Bannister. That wasn't too dangerous as we were on the first floor.Staff was friendly.

Large self contained resort

Nice grounds well maintained with many 3 story buildings. Resort is in the shape of a butterfly with central boulevard containing specialty restaurants and lobby and bars. Only drawback were mosquitoes which were biting.

Wow! Beautiful !

Everything from check in to check out was great . Beach was great only downfall was a lot of rocks close to the shore so watch your feet. Food was good only thing since it was down time we were unsure where we were going to eat buffet was closed at dinner some nights. Service and rooms were some of the best I have had Would for sure go back again

Large Beautiful Resort

2nd time visiting this resort. Met some great people on the plane trip down, which made the trip a lot more rewarding. January it was busy about 850 people..this time in September very quiet only about 150. This effected the quality and food and service. Buffet and food ala carts less options and they allowed the quality to drop. Rooms and housekeeping service top notch. Pool amazing..beach still rocky needs more work. Take time to go to the lobster shack as well as get the catamaran and do the  [... read more]snorkling beautiful. Pilar beach amazing as always. The hotel staff and entertainers really make this resort what it is. Excellent staff , friendly and helpful. Love all the bartenders, dining room staff and the animation group aew wonderful. Celebrated my birthday their and they made me feel so overjoyed. Best birthday in a long time. I will definetley go back...lots of walking very large resort , so if you dont want the 10 min walk to beach or certain bars/resturants...go to a smaller resort. Still under construction half the resort as well.

Paridise

Everything was perfect. The people were amizingly wonderful.Only one complaint was the food could have been much hotter . Other than that my stay there was perfect. The bartender in the front lobby makes great coffee.

We lasted 24 hours....

Lobby and room were great! Service left a lot to be desired. Very slow and inattentive. Beach area is pretty but rocky but the smell is overwhelming. Without getting into a long story, we switched resorts the following afternoon.

Great value for the money.

Excellent staff. Great beach. Newer resort. Plenty of food. Enjoyed the pool area tremendously. Big 5 star rooms. Lots to do inside resort with enough facilities for everyone in the family. Shows are ok. Wonderful experience.

Wonderful Resort....

This resort is great, I don't understand why people had bad reviews. Beautiful grounds, great staff who were always helpful, nice rooms, huge pools. Food was really good as well. Great spot for our family vacation. Beach is beautiful and yes there are spots with rock coverage - bring water shoes.

Not what we expected!

No body towels in the room...or if there are they were ripped...no beach towels available daily...waiting time for transportation...place is too big...service is limited...calling customer service all the time to fix different issue...not happy at all....

Great get away

the hotel was very nice and new looking and large. the pool was much larger than it appeared in pictures. the beach was absolutely beautiful but was rocky at the entrance. water shoes would be a benefit. there were plenty of huts available to sit in the shade both at the beach and the pool. the buffet was ok but the a la carte resteraunts were fabulous and a must for the best dining experience. the 24 hour snack bar needed MUCH improvement as it was VERY slow and seemed to run out of things that [... read more] they didn't tell you was no longer available until after you waited 30 to 60 minutes :-( the shower needed fixing upon arrival and it was fixed right away and we were compensated with a no charge late check out which worked in our favour having a late flight. American money is not needed here you must use Cuban currency. we were able to exchange our money at the hotel but wouldn't have bothered with getting american money at the bank before we went. the hotel has great potential they just need to work out some of the service glitches expected of a new establishment.

Good for families and couples

The resort was a close drive from the airport (15 min). They take a bit of time to check you in but the rooms are nice. We had some issues with the room which the customer service team resolved the next day. They even gave us a free extended check-out until 4pm which would cost about $30 CDN. The resort is very large. It has only been running since January 2015 so there are a few kinks with service but generally good. Many buildings were not open yet as they were still under construction. The be [... read more]ach was beautiful. In some areas there were a lot of rocks. Lots of shaded areas were provided at the beach as well as the pools. (Lots of pool areas). One side of the resort had a pool equal in size to the other that was not even being used. I think because it was summer and low numbers? The staff are all good natured and willing to help out. The only problem we encountered was at the Hidro snack bar (a 24 hr restaurant). The service was very slow depending on where you sat. On our last day we tried to order a burger and a sandwhich at the only place you could get food at the time - the buffet was closed. We told them upon ordering that we were leaving for the airport and had to hurry. They had many staff but they took over an hour. We had to wrap it up but almost walked out. The manager asked if everything was good but did not understand and left smiling as if all was perfect. The scenery is beautiful. Although they have excursions you can visit a small area on the resort that has vendors - like a market. They also have a bowling alley and any shows at night. Live entertainment in the main lobby after dinner too. A spa is available at an extra charge. You can go into town for about 90 Cuban Pesos and tour on your own. We took a walk on the beach to a point toward the right (east) and swam in some bigger waves, saw some tropical fish and even a dolphin about 25 meters away. We heard from some others that went west on the beach, that there were some sting rays that could be seen. The beach was sandy and shallow. Quite warm but still refreshing. They also offer free catamaran rides and paddle boats and kayaks. Overall a beautiful place for a vacation!

Amazing family experience!

Melia Jardines del Rey was a fantastic choice for our family. The owner sparred no expense in this resort. The lobby was spacious and very attractive and comfortable. People who work there were very helpful. The pools were large and made for kids. I did not have to worry about my kids drowning because there were tons of shallow areas in the pools. The ocean was beautiful but the beach was rocky and you need water shoes to be comfortable.

Worst holiday ever in Cuba!

The physical surroundings are new..but that is it. Hostile aggressive and atmosphere .. beach is rocky -- boulders ...never quiet .. techno music constantly , Cuba army on beach drinking, smoking throwing butts on beach & water, Cuban families take over the beach and water drinking .. etc. imposing.. be prepared to take hrs for food , tourists pushy , greedy with food ,, rude .. I am very positive, resilient traveler, but his place does not give any Cuba hospitality .. rather go to a tired resor [... read more]t that respect their workers and tourists .. advertises as 4 star.. only in buildings.. service, atmosphere is hostile , aggressive , disrespectful -- unlike any resort I have been to in Cuba ..owned by Spain .. management must be awful to work for to create such a hostile place .. will never return there or recommend to anyone

Amazing resort!

We just came back from a wonderful week at Melia Jarnines del Ray! The resort is still being built but that didn't stop us from enjoying one bit! Exceptional service, friendly, welcoming staff. They always went out of there way to welcome you! Rooms were excellent and clean! Pools were superb and always had loungers available no need to wake up early in order to get one. The beach is a little rocky at the shore but beautiful shallow sandbars were enjoyed by all! Great couples resort and family r [... read more]esort!! We are planning our next trip to Melia Jardines del Ray and brining the kids this time : )

Beautiful Resort

The food was very good, the room was clean and access to the pool, dining area and beach were reasonable walking distances. Two out of the three restaurants were ok, the Mediterranean one was the best! The waiters and waitresses were very kind. The only negative thing was that the beach was rocky; sharp rocks in the water that made it impossible to go swimming. I would recommend water shoes to anyone who is interested in going.

New Resort

The resort is brand new and only half opened...the cuban workers are super friendly on the resort..a special shout out to Mosley our gardner unit 14 ....the pool is very big as well as a nice swim up bar...beach is good...but there are rocks in the water some sharp...stay to the left side and it is all sand...was not crazy for the food though....

Amazing resort

I would recomend this resort to everyone I know even though it was not totally finished yet when it is totally finished at the end of may it will be spectaculer the food grounds staff bars entertainment villas and rooms beach pool restaurants were all great my wife and I plan to return next year to see it totally finished we are looking at making this a yearly venture it is such a beautifull resort nothing bad to say about Melia Jardines del Ray I was very impreesed

New resort - All good!

The resort is brand new and half was still under construction as of April 26th. The rooms were nicely appointed and our mini-fridge was re-stocked daily. The food was good and plentiful in the buffet each day. The staff was very friendly as most seemed to be learning their new jobs as well as English. Bring water shoes to enter the water at the beach. The pools were nice and the bartenders will fix you whatever you want.

Great Vacation

Comfortable rooms, amazing pool area, convenient beach access. Decent service for the most part; one bad experience in one of the snack bars where after 1/2 hour of waiting, all we got were menus. We left. Very nice having a 15 minute shuttle ride between the resort and the airport!

Great resort but not a 5* yet

Rooms - clean and spacious but basic Staff - courteous and helpful Food - lots of it but not gourmet. The French Bistro a la carte was by far the best Pool - absolutely gorgeous. Had to get up early to save seats. People leave towels on chairs all day and never sit there. Beach - stunning water, a little rocky in some parts